A gasp went through the assembly hall at a local school when Hawke's Bay Olympian Westley Gough showed pupils his London 2012 bronze medal yesterday.
Gough, 24, spoke to pupils at Taradale Primary School about his cycling career and his medal win in the men's 4000m team pursuit this month.
He told students about his interests in rugby, cross country and basketball when he was at Argyll East School and Central Hawke's Bay College.
"I first got into bike riding when I was about 14," he said. "When I was at school I was into lots of different sports, and I didn't realise how much I liked cycling until I tried it really.
"I started off with a little yellow mountain bike and then got more and more involved in the sport after that."